Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua hosted Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Andrew Karanja and his Cooperative and MSMEs Development counterpart Wycliffe Oparanya to discuss reforms in the tea and coffee sectors.

In a statement on X posted on Monday, August 26, 2024, Gachagua said they held conversations with the two with the aim of improving the sectors that he says need drastic reforms.

“We remain focused on delivering drastic reforms in the tea, coffee, and dairy sectors in our quest to put more money into the pocket of the small-scale farmer.

“This afternoon, at the official residence in Karen, I had fruitful discussions with our new CSs, Oparanya of Cooperatives, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and AndrewKaranja of Agriculture, who called on me as we seek to syncronise our approach to the reforms.

“We were joined by the Parliamentary Tea and Coffee Reforms Caucus and other stakeholders to compare notes, consolidate, and strengthen our collective strategy,” Gachagua’s statement read.

The DP explained what the sector needs at a time the government is pushing for a bigger market locally and internationally.

“Indeed, our success is hinged on constantly renewing our energy and resolve, alongside consistent consultations with the key stakeholders towards sustainability, even as we expand the domestic and international market.

“It is noteworthy that reforms in the subsectors so far have brought back the vibrancy, and our objective is to sustain and power this trajectory,” he added.

More agendas

Meanwhile, Oparanya revealed more agendas that he discussed with the former Mathira Constituency Member of Parliament.

“This afternoon, I paid a courtesy call to the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, Rigathi Gachgua, at his Karen Residence, Nairobi, after a high-level meeting on coffee and tea sub-sector reforms.

“We discussed a wide range of issues touching on empowering MSMEs, strengthening our cooperatives, and how to enhance economic development with a key focus on Kenyans at the bottom of the economic pyramid. The Deputy President assured me of his support in reforming cooperatives and boosting MSMEs,” the former Kakamega County governor said.

Others in the meeting included Principal Secretary of the State Department of Co-operatives Patrick Kilemi, Agriculture Committee Chairperson of the Senate Kamau Murango, and Patrick Osero (MP Borabu), who is the chair of the Committee on Agriculture in the National Assembly.